Drink mixing device



June 30, 1942. G. w. ASHLOCK, JR 2,288,063

DRINK MIXING DEVICE v Filed Oct. 28, 1940 FIIE 'l 'FlEi E INVENTOR fieorge W Ash/oak Jr? A1TORNEY Patented June 30, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE This invention relates to a mixing device, particularly one adapted for producing beverages or food stuffs wherein air containing emulsions or suspensions are desirably formed such as whipped cream, milk shakes, malted milk, mayonnaise and the like.

Many mixing devices, particularly those employed in household use, are effective only insofar as they succeed in creating an emulsion or suspension of air in some other fluid medium. For example, in the production of whipped cream,

the amount of air beaten into the whipped creamis in general a measure of the success of the beating operation. Many mixing devices have been proposed heretofore but in these no director positive means have been taken to insure that air was adequately delivered to the materials undergoing mixing.

It is in general the broad object of the present invention to provide a novel and simple device for mixing of materials, the device being further characterized by its ability to aerate the materials undergoing mixing quickly and to a relatively high degree.

Other objects and features of advantage will appear hereinafter wherein the present preferred form of device of this invention is disclosed.

In the drawing accompanying and forming a part hereof, Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly in section, illustrating a device of the present invention.

Figure 2 is an enlarged view of the impeller employed,-while Figure 3 is a section taken along the line 3-3 of Figure 2.

As appears in the drawing, a mixing device is provided by the standard 6 carrying a suitable electric motor I having an impeller shaft 8 depending therefrom. The motor, when supplied with current, rotates the impeller shaft 8 rapidly, the shaft being normally adapted to be positioned in a vertical or substantially vertical position and to depend into and beneath the surface of materials to be mixed. To position the materials a suitable receptacle such as that indicated at 9 is provided and retained in place by a suitable clip I I or by any other suitable means.

In accordance with this invention the shaft 8 is provided with a hollow passage extending from adjacent the upper end thereof and particularly from an aperture l 2 provided therein, which aperture is arranged to supply a free air supply to the hollow shaft. The shaft -8 is made hollow to adjacent the depending end thereof at which end I provide a suitable rotor I 4 having a plurality ing with the hollow shaft 8. Rotation of the rotor is effective to draw down through aperture l2 and the hollow shaft 8 a free supply of air which is forced out through the several radially extending passages l6 into the material undergoing mixing.

Further, and in accordance with this invention, I preferably provide one or more passages H in rotor H to admitthe material in the receptacle 8 to the central portion of the rotor. The material entering the rotor mixes with the air flowing therethrough to further insure adequate mixing and aeration. Conveniently an auxiliary mixing. device such as the impeller 19 can be mounted upon the shaft to supply fluid to the rotor I4 and to otherwise insure that adequate physical stirring and mixing occurs in the fluid in the receptacle 9.

Rotor I4 is conveniently made up of two plates 2| and 22. These plates are struck up as at 23 to provide the passages Hi, the adjacent and abutting portions 24 of the members 2| and 22 being secured together.

The device of the present invention can be used successfully in themixing of any suitable liquid or liquid-solid mixture. For example, in a test performed upon whipping cream, an original volume of the cream was divided into two batches. The first batch was placed in the mixer and was whipped, a piece of adhesive tape being secured over aperture 12. About a minute and a half was required with the particular mixer to whip the cream adequately to a "whipped cream consistency. The mixer was then cleaned and the second batch placed therein, the tape being removed. Thirty seconds mixing was all that was required when the aperture l2 was open while the whipped cream produced was even stifier and of a more satisfactory consistency than that produced without the aeration.

In the manufacture of drinks such as malted milk, aeration results in a desirable increase in volume of the drink. The rapid and very thorough aeration which characterizes the device of this invention is due to the positive mixing of the air and fluid in the rotor. It is to be noted that the rotor is positioned adjacent the bottom of the receptacle 9 so that a column of liquid stands above aperture l| This ensures that the liquid enters the aperture and mixes with air drawn through the hollow shaft.

I claim:

1. A mixing device of the class described comprising a standard having a supporting. base and of radially extending passages 16 communicatcarrying a motor d having means foprgmov.

ably supporting a container. an impeller shaft normally positioned substantially vertically to depend irom said motor through the atmosphere into materials to be mixed in said removably supported container. said shalt having a passage extending from the atmosphere to adJacent an end of said shaft, and a rotor on said shaft adiacent said end having passages extending from adjacent the periphery 01' said rotor to said passage, said rotor also having a passage for admitting materials undergoing mixing through a central portion of said rotor into said passages upon rotation oi said rotor to mix in said passages air drawn in through said hollow shaft and materials admitted through said rotor passage.

2. A mixing device of the character described comprising a motor, a movably positioned container, an impeller shalt nor-many positioned substantially vertically to depend from said motor to adjacent the-bottom oi saidcontainer from the atmosphere into materials to be mixed in said container, said shaft havinga passage extending from the atmosphere to adjacent an. end 0! said shaft, and a rdtor on said shaft adjacent said end having passages extending from adjacent the periphery oi. said rotor to said passage. said rotor also having a passage for admitting materials undergoing mixing through a central portion of said rotor into said passages upon rotation 01' said rotor to mix in said passages air drawn in through said hollow shaft and materials admitted through said rotor passage.

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